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By Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, CNN<\/p>\n
A man indicted by the Justice Department last month for allegedly running two fraudulent political action committees in 2016 continued to run another operation \u2014 including promises of a Trump Christmas card for contributions of at least $35 \u2014 using a different PAC shortly after his indictment and arrest in November.<\/p>\n
Matthew Tunstall, a 34-year-old man from Texas, was charged along with two other men in November<\/a> for allegedly operating two different PACs that used robocalls and written solicitations implying they were supporting 2016 presidential candidates \u2014 in some cases Hillary Clinton and in others Donald Trump.<\/p>\n The Justice Department says the men collected approximately $3.5 million from unwitting contributors, using it to enrich themselves instead of supporting the political candidate.<\/p>\n CNN\u2019s KFile found Tunstall used another PAC he created in 2019 \u2014 called Campaign to Support the President \u2014 to send more than 166,000 robocalls, according to data from an anti-robocall app, to solicit donations just last month.<\/p>\n Tunstall\u2019s Campaign to Support the President PAC ran 128,000 robocalls following his arrest on November 9, according to data reviewed by CNN\u2019s KFile from Aaron Foss, the founder of the anti-robocall app NoMoRobo. The calls<\/a>, which used spliced-together recordings of Trump\u2019s public statements, first started running on November 4 and continued until November 30, running more than 166,000 in total. Tunstall was indicted on November 2 and arrested on November 9 after the indictment was unsealed, according to court filings.<\/p>\n The Campaign to Support the President PAC was one of two PACs investigated by CNN\u2019s KFile in July 2021<\/a>, which found Tunstall raised millions of dollars through robocall solicitations impersonating the Trump presidential campaign. CNN\u2019s reporting did not indicate that either of the other two men indicted by the Justice Department in November is involved in Tunstall\u2019s Campaign to Support the President PAC.<\/p>\n Though Campaign to Support the President was not part of the November indictment, it bears all the hallmarks of a scam PAC, according to experts CNN spoke with.<\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of a PAC, or a political action committee, is essentially they get donations and then they spend those donations to help elect people to office. What we call a scam PAC is one that raises the money under those guises and then basically pays themselves and their friends,\u201d said Jordan Libowitz, the communications director for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonpartisan watchdog group.<\/p>\n \u201c[Scam PAC operators] basically redirect the money to themselves rather than trying to actually elect candidates. So, they\u2019re scamming their donors essentially into giving them money that would otherwise go towards an election,\u201d said Libowitz, speaking broadly about scam PACs. He added that scam PACs often have names that sound either plain or legitimate to trick donors into giving money.<\/p>\n The Justice Department declined to comment to CNN. Tunstall and his lawyer did not return CNN\u2019s multiple requests for comment.<\/p>\n Though the PAC has just restarted its campaign to run robocalls, the group hasn\u2019t filed a Federal Election Commission report since April of 2021<\/a> so it\u2019s unknown exactly how the PAC is spending its money. But the PAC is raising money almost exactly like the alleged 2016 scheme Tunstall was indicted for last month. Tunstall could also face new charges for other PACs he has run or other legal jeopardy.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are few things that infuriate prosecutors and judges like a defendant who continues to commit crime while out on bail \u2014 particularly the same crime for which he is already indicted,\u201d said Elie Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor and a CNN senior legal analyst. \u201cIf proven, the consequences here for Tunstall could be serious: revocation of bail, additional criminal charges, and enhanced sentencing after any conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n Tunstall\u2019s <\/strong>Campaign to Support the President PAC was one of the largest robocall operations in the country in 2020 and 2021, according to NoMoRobo, but the PAC stopped sending robocalls in mid-June 2021, shortly after CNN\u2019s KFile first contacted one of the PAC\u2019s former treasurers. The group didn\u2019t restart calls until November 4, according to the data from NoMoRobo.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a constant game of cat-and-mouse,\u201d Foss, the founder of NoMoRobo, told CNN\u2019s KFile. \u201cWe\u2019re already seeing copycat groups pushing out similar messages. As long as people are falling for these scams, they\u2019re going to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n The November calls for the Campaign to Support the President PAC asked for donations of $35 to receive a Trump Christmas card.<\/p>\n \u201cOn behalf of the entire Trump family, we wish everyone a merry Christmas and a very, very happy New Year,\u201d Trump says in the call.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump wants everyone to celebrate Christmas and holidays, including you, while Democrats want to cancel Christmas gatherings. Get your Trump family Christmas card for every contribution of at least $35,\u201d a narrator added.<\/p>\n When CNN\u2019s KFile attempted to call the number mentioned in the robocall in December, an automated voice said that \u201cthe number you dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service.\u201d The phone numbers used to send robocalls were also not working numbers.<\/p>\n The PAC has raised approximately $193,000<\/a> since its founding in 2019, spending much of the money raised<\/a> on \u201cfundraising and travel,\u201d according to filings. None of the money the group has raised went directly to Trump or his campaign during the 2020 presidential cycle or this year; the money the PAC says it\u2019s spent in support of Trump was spent on robocalls or advertising.<\/p>\n The-CNN-Wire
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